Aquatic macrophytes can be considered good biological indicators of pollution because:

1
M I S Macrophyte Index Scheme (Wegher e Turin,
1987)

• Aquatic macrophytes can be considered good
  biological indicators of pollution because
• they are sensitive to pesticides, to organic
  pollution and to eutrophication
• They are easy to identify
• They arent movable
• This index is based on the presence/absence of
  some taxa belonging to different groups of
  sensibility
• We can define four groups ( A-B-C-D-) with a
  gradient of decreasing sensibility

2
GROUP A
Ranunculs sp Callitriche hamulata
3
RANUNCULUS SP

• Scientific name Ranunculus Sp.
• Common name Buttercup, Golden Button
• Family Ranuncolcee
• Characteristics A vigorous, herbaceous plant,
  that grows in normal or marshy land and
  spontaneously in Italy. Buttercups originally had
  simple flowers with five petals but today there
  are hybrids with semi-double or double flowers
• Colour of flowers Buttercup flowers may be
  yellow, white, orange, red or tobacco they are
  characterized of brilliant tones and of a
  particular shininess.

4
RANUNCULUS SP

• Period of flowering This varies depending on the
  species and the altitude. Some buttercups
  announce spring, others flower in summer.
• Reproduction The buttercup plant can be
  reproduced by dividing the tuberous roots or by
  sowing seeds but the latter way is extremely
  difficult.
• In Italy there are about fifty wild species of
  buttercups, a plant with fleshy roots, known as
  feet that are similar to tubers and leaves that
  are different depending on the species, ranging
  from divided or whole, linear or palmate shape.
  Buttercups prefer open but sheltered places with
  sunlight in the warmer hours of the day.

5
CALLITRICHE spp

• Water-starworts are small, delicate plants
  usually found in shallow water. All species are
  loosely rooted to the bottom with narrow
  underwater leaves and/or broadened floating
  leaves arranged in pairs along thin stems.
  Characteristics of water-starworts are quite
  variable and depend on growing conditions. To be
  sure of their identification to species, the
  surfaces of mature fruit need to be examined
  under 10-20x magnification. 

6
CALLITRICHE HAMULATA

• Scientific name CALLITRICHE HAMULATA
• Common name Intermediate Water-Starwort
• Description the stem is thin and it can grow
  till 30-40 cm of length. Young leaves are
  submersed, long and thin their colour is light
  green. Meanwhile the plant grows up its leaves
  become wider and oval. The leaves that can reach
  the surface are round and form a kind of star
  floating on the water surface.Flowers are small,
  green, without petals they flower between April
  and September, but its difficult to see them
  because of their small size.
• Habitat the callitriche grows in clean waters
  with a slow flow it is typical of a spring
  river.

7
GROUP B
Ranuncul acquatilis Ranuncul peltatus
Callitriche stagnalis Callitriche obtusangula
Callitriche platycarpa Chara spp. Fontinalis
antipiretica Potamoceton lucens Potamogeton
obtusifolius Elodea canadensis Hippuris
vulgaris Apium nodiflorum Rorippa
nasturium-acquaticum
8
RANUNCULUS AQUATILIS

• White water-buttercup is found in ponds,
  lakes, ditches and streams. The small white
  flowers with a yellow centre rise above the water
  surface. Many white water-buttercup plants have
  two distinct types of leaves very finely
  divided, thread-like, fan-shaped underwater
  leaves, and floating or emersed leaves that
  appear scalloped. Often only the underwater
  leaves are present. The plants sometimes form
  conspicuous mats on the water surface.

9
RANUNCULUS AQUATILIS

• Leaf The leaf form is variable depending on the
  season and growing conditions, but the leaves are
  always alternately arranged on the stem.
  Submersed leaves are branched into more than 20
  thread-like segments. These fan-shaped leaves are
  1-4 cm wide and are attached to the stem by 1-2
  cm long leaf stalks. Floating leaves are often
  absent. When present, these scalloped leaves
  (0.5-2 cm long) are flat and have 3 to 5 main
  lobes.
• Stem The long smooth or slightly hairy stem can
  grow up to 1 m and it is weak, branched, and
  rooting at the lower nodes.

10
RANUNCULUS AQUATILIS

• Flower Single flowers on stalks (1-6 cm long)
  rise above the water surface. Each flower is 1-2
  cm across, has a yellow centre, and 5 white
  petals. As the fruit matures, the petals detach
  and the flower stalks tend to curve away from the
  stem.
• Fruit White water-buttercup has clusters of 10
  to 50 achenes per flower. Each achene is 1.5 -2.5
  mm long, has a pointed end, and often has cross
  ridges.
• Root Fibrous roots often emerge from nodes on
  the lower portions of the stems.
• Propagation Seeds and stem fragments. 
• Habitat Ponds, lake margins, rivers, slow-moving
  streams or ditches.

11
RANUNCULUS PELTATUS

• R. peltatus is generally found in slow-moving
  streams or in lakes or ponds. It requires fairly
  nutrient-rich (eutrophic) conditions. Often it
  will form dense and very conspicuous beds
• Flowers are white (or very pale pink), somewhat
  larger than all other water-crowfoots.
• Leaves are either finely dissected if submerged,
  or round and lobed. Individual plants will
  normally carry both kinds of leaf at time of
  flowering (from May to August).

12
CALLITRICHE STAGNALIS

• Pond water-starwort usually has spoon-shaped
  floating leaves crowded at the stem-tip. 
• Leaf Opposite. Narrow submersed leaves (up to
  10 mm wide) with one rounded leaf tip are
  sometimes present. Oval or spoon-shaped floating
  leaves are up to 10 mm wide and are joined by
  tiny ridges at the base.
• Stem Usually branched, rising to surface or
  sprawling.
• Flower Tiny flowers lack sepals and petals and
  are located at the leaf bases on minute stalks.
  2-4 tiny whitish bracts emerge from the flower
  base.
• Fruit Small, located at the leaf bases. Four
  compartments, each containing one seed. Oval,
  1.2-1.8 mm long, 1.2-1.7 mm wide, narrow margin
  all around (wing) bracts at base.
• Root Fibrous, from plant base or sprouting from
  stem joints.
• Propagation Plant fragments, seeds.
• Habitat Shallow water of lake margins and
  streams.

13
CALLITRICHE OBTUSANGULA

• English nameBlue-fruited Water-starwort
  Scientific name Callitriche obtusangula Le Gall
• Diagnostic features Aquatic perennial, but not
  fruiting if submerged.
• Submerged leaves linear.
• Floating leaf-blades broadly rhombic, each vein
  usually marked by a fine raised ridge when fresh.
• Stamens c.5mm anthers c.0.6mm wide.
• Pollen grains markedly ellipsoid or slightly
  curved.
• Fruits c.1.5 x 1.2mm, unwinged, with erect
  styles.
• Habitat Native in and by ponds and streams.

14
CALLITRICHE PLATYCARPA

• English name Various-leaved Water-starwort
• Scientific name Callitriche platycarpa.
• It forms rosettes with 10-12 leaves, the single
  leaves in the rosette are like the submerged
  leaves, eliptic or narrow spatulate, while the
  emerse leaves are more broad. The plant name The
  genus-name Callitriche comes from the greek words
  kalos ( beautifull) and thrix ( hair), the name
  refer to the smallness of the genus, the
  species-name platycarpa is likewise greek and
  comes from platys ( flat) and karpon (
  fruit).its are brown with thigh ali. It grows in
  poor (of minerals) waters.

15
CHARA SPP.

• Species Chara spp.,
• English namemuskgrass, stonewort, muskwort
  Although these common lake inhabitants look
  similar to many underwater plants, they are
  actually algae. Muskgrasses are green or
  grey-green coloured algae that grow completely
  submersed in shallow (4 cm) to deep (20 m) water.
  Individuals can vary greatly in size, ranging
  from 5 cm to 1 m in length. The main "stem" of
  muskgrasses bear whorls of branch lets, clustered
  at regularly spaced joints. When growing in hard
  water, muskgrasses sometimes become coated with
  lime, giving them a rough gritty feel. These
  algae are identifiable by their strong skunk-like
  or garlic smell, especially evident when crushed.

16
FONTINALIS ANTIPYRETICA

• Species Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw, English
  name common water moss
• FamilyFontinalaceaeCommon water moss is a dark
  green underwater plant that attaches to rocks or
  logs in flowing water, or floats loose or
  attached in still water. The leaves are sharply
  pointed, ridged, overlapping, and arranged in 3
  rows along the entire length of the stems. The
  stems grow up to 60 cm long and appear triangular
  if the leaves are removed. Common water moss does
  not produce flowers, reproducing by stolons,
  plant fragments, or spores instead. It is often
  found dried and dormant above water in the
  summer.

17
FONTINALIS ANTIPYRETICA

• Leaf The rather rigid, sharply-pointed leaves
  are 4 to 9 mm long, broadly lance-shaped to
  egg-shaped, and have a lengthwise ridge down the
  back. They are arranged in 3 rows and partly
  overlap along the entire length of the stem. When
  removed from the stem, the leaves appear to be
  folded length-wise down the middle.
• Stem The branching stem is 20 to 60 mm long,
  conspicuously three-angled (appears triangular in
  cross section), and entirely covered by the
  leaves.
• Flower None, produces spores instead.
• Fruit Microscopic spores are produced in smooth
  capsules that measure 2 to 2.6 mm long. Spores
  are only produced on plants that are subjected to
  periods of drying. Fertilization and spore
  release will only take place above water.
• Root No true roots. Rootlets (rhizoids) attach
  common water moss to rocks and logs.

18
FONTINALIS ANTIPYRETICA

• Propagation Mostly by stolons and leafy plant
  fragments. Infrequently by spores.
• Habitat Water moss is found attached to rocks or
  logs in swift flowing water, or floating loose or
  attached to substrate in still water. It is
  common in shaded sites and prefers slightly
  acidic water. It requires water below pH 8.4
  where dissolved carbon dioxide is available.
• It is characteristic of cold flowing waters. It
  is constitute by small stems (long 30-50 cm) tag
  at the bottom.
• It grows in environments with temperatures
  between 10C and 15C, clean water with neutral
  pH and media durezza.

19
POTAMOGETON LUCENS

• Leaves of only one kind, not separated into
  submerged and floating. Leaves on main stem 7-20
  cm long. In the axil of each leaf is a stiff,
  pale green, yellowish or reddish stipule, about
  40 as long as the leaf, with two conspicuous
  ribs or keels.  All leaves have a short stalk
  about 1-12 mm long.
• Other features Leaves wavy-edged.  On either
  side of the midrib there are about 2 prominent
  veins and outside those another 2 or so fainter
  ones.  Joining these lengthwise veins there are
  thinner but still very conspicuous cross-veins,
  which are at an angle of about 60-80 to the main
  veins, both near the midrib and near the edge.
  Fruit-spike thickening upwards.

20
POTAMOGETON OBTUSIFOLIUS

• Family Potamogetonaceae
• Duration Perennial
• Rhizomes absent. Cauline stems slightly
  compressed, without spots, 35-90 cm glands
  yellow-green to gold, 0.2-1 mm diameter. Turions
  terminal, abundant, soft outer leaves 3-4 per
  side, base not corrugate, apex apiculate to
  obtuse inner leaves undifferentiated. Leaves
  submersed, spirally arranged, sessile, flaccid
  stipules persistent, inconspicuous, convolute,
  free from blade, white, not ligulate, 0.6-1.8 cm,
  fibrous, rarely shredding at tip, apex obtuse
  blade light green to somewhat reddish, linear,
  not arcuate, base slightly tapering, without
  basal lobes, not clasping, margins entire, not
  crispate, apex not hoodlike, obtuse or
  round-apiculate, lacunae in 1-3 rows each side of
  midrib veins 3. Inflorescences unbranched,
  emersed peduncles not dimorphic, axillary,
  erect, rarely recurved, cylindric spike not
  dimorphic, cylindric, 8-13 mm.
• Fruits sessile, olive-green to brown, obovoid,
  turgid, abaxially keeled or not, laterally keeled
  or not, lateral keels when present without
  points sides without basal tubercles embryo
  with 1 full spiral.
• Flowering and fruiting summer fall. Medium- to
  low-alkaline waters of lakes and slow-flowing
  streams
• It has two hybrids, Potamogeton obtusifolius P.
  pusillus and P. friesii obtusifolius.

21
ELODEA CANADENSIS

• These underwater perennial plants sometimes occur
  as tangled masses in lakes, ponds, and ditches.
  Individual plants within each species vary in
  appearance depending on growing conditions. Some
  are bushy and robust, others have few leaves and
  weak stems. Both have long, trailing stems with
  green, somewhat translucent leaves arranged in
  whorls of 3 around the stem.

22
ELODEA CANADENSIS

• Leaf Mostly arranged in whorls of 3
  (occasionally 4), but sometimes opposite on the
  lower portions of the stems. Leaves very finely
  toothed along the edges, but evident only with
  magnification.
• Stem Long, slender, generally branched. Common
  waterweed is more sparingly branched than
  Nuttall's waterweed.
• Flower Often does not produce flowers. Small (8
  mm across), white flowers occur at the ends of
  long, thread-like stalks and have 3 petals and
  usually 3 sepals. Male and female flowers occur
  on separate plants, but male flowers are rarely
  produced. Blooms from July to September.
  Fruit Capsules approximately 6 mm long, seeds
  about 4 mm long, but because of a shortage of
  male plants, seeds are seldom produced.
• Root Tufts of fibrous roots from nodes along the
  stem.
• Propagation Stem fragments, over wintering buds,
  and rarely by seeds. 
• Habitat Lakes, rivers, ponds and ditches.

23
HIPPURIS VULGARIS

• Species Hippuris vulgaris
• Family Hippuridaceae
• Common mare's-tail looks like a robust green
  bottlebrush growing in patches primarily in the
  shallow areas of streams, ponds, and lakes or on
  wet muddy shores when water levels drop. This
  plant is characterized by unbranched stems,
  abundant whorled leaves, and inconspicuous
  flowers. The leaves and stems vary in form
  depending on whether they are growing underwater
  or are emergent. The underwater plant portions
  are limp, flexible, and have very long leaves.
  Emergent portions are stiff and erect, with short
  narrow leaves.

24
HIPPURIS VULGARIS

• Leaf  Arranged in whorls 6-12 stalk less,
  smooth-edged leaves per whorl. Two types
  submersed leaves are soft, pale green, and
  measure up to 5 cm long and 3 mm wide. Emergent
  leaves are dark green, stiffer, and smaller. In
  deeper water only the submersed leaf form may be
  present.
• Stem The unbranched stem is hollow, up to 1 m
  long, and forms roots at the nodes. The stem is
  erect when emergent limp when submersed and can
  form creeping rhizomes.

25
HIPPURIS VULGARIS

• Flower Small, inconspicuous flowers are located
  at the leaf bases. The flowers which lack petals
  and sepals, are reduced to a tiny rim.
• Fruit Tiny (mature fruit about 2 mm long),
  nut-like, located at leaf bases.
• Root Fibrous. Arising from lower portion of
  stems and rhizomes.
• Propagation Seeds, rhizomes. Will re-grow from
  stem cuttings.
• Habitat At the edges of lakes, ponds, and
  streams in fresh, usually shallow water, though
  it will grow in water up to 2 m deep.

26
APIUM NODIFLORUM

• Family Apiaceae
• Type glaborous, perennial. Hel.
• Taste nauseous.
• Stems procumbent or ascending, rooting at lower
  nodes, flring  stems rooting at base, hollow,
  finely grooved.
• Height 30-100cm
• Umbels compound, sessile or shortly procumbent.
  3-15, 1-2 cm  rays, subequal, scabrid, spreading
  or recurved (0.3) 1-2 cm.   Peduncles lt than
  rays or almost absent, leaf opposed.

27
APIUM NODIFLORUM

• Leaves simply pinnate, bright green, shiny. 2-4
  (6) pairs of  lobes, 1.5-6 (10) cm, lanceolate
  to ovate, serrate or crenate   somewhat lobed,
  sessile. Cotyledons contracted into petiole.
• Bracts absent. Bracteoles 4-7, linear lancolate
  to ovate, or gt  than flowers.
• Flowers greenish white. Styles form a
  stylopodium. Fl.7-8.
• Fuit 2-2.5 mm ovoid, laterally compressed,
  smooth. Commisure   narrow. Mericarps with
  prominent thick ribs. Carpophore   present.
  Vittae solitary. Pedicels 1-2 mm. Styles gt than
  stylopodium, recurved, stigma a small knob.
• Habitat ditches, shallow ponds, wet places.
  Nutrient rich calcerous soil.

28
RORIPPA NASTURIUM-AQUATICUM

• This emergent perennial herb is typically
  observed as a tangle of stems and leaves growing
  in cold, flowing water. Usually the ends of the
  stems and the leaves are held above the water.
  The leaves are compound, each consisting of a
  central stalk with several round leaflets that
  have smooth or slightly wavy edges. The leaves
  have a strong peppery taste. The small flowers
  each have 4 white petals and are clustered at the
  ends of the stems.
• Leaf The older leaves are compound, with each
  leaf consisting of 3 to 11 smooth or wavy-edged,
  oval or lance-shaped leaflets growing from a
  central stalk. The entire leaf measures 4 to 12
  cm long, with the end leaflet usually larger than
  the others. Young leaves are simple, not
  compound.
• Stem The trailing, fleshy stem is 10-60 cm long,
  breaks easily, and is upright at the ends. It
  forms roots at the lower nodes.
• Flower White flowers appear above the water from
  March through October. The flowers are clustered
  at the ends of the stems on short stalks. The
  flowers are 3-5 mm long and have 4 white petals.
• Fruit Thin, slightly curved, cylindrical pods
  are 10-25 mm long and about 2 mm wide, on stalks
  8-12 mm long. The seeds are small (1 mm), round,
  and arranged in four rows inside the pods.

29
RORIPPA NASTURIUM-AQUATICUM

• Root Thin and fibrous. Roots often grow from the
  nodes of the trailing stems.
• Propagation Rooting stem fragments and seeds.
• Habitat Flowing streams and other shallow fresh
  water prefers cold moving water.
• Flower White flowers appear above the water from
  March through October. The flowers are clustered
  at the ends of the stems on short stalks. The
  flowers are 3-5 mm long and have 4 white petals.
• Fruit Thin, slightly curved, cylindrical pods
  are 10-25 mm long and about 2 mm wide, on stalks
  8-12 mm long. The seeds are small (1 mm), round,
  and arranged in four rows inside the pods.
• Root Thin and fibrous. Roots often grow from the
  nodes of the trailing stems.
• Propagation Rooting stem fragments and seeds.
• Habitat Flowing streams and other shallow fresh
  water prefers cold moving water.

30
GROUP C

• Zannichellia palustris
• Sparganium spp.
• Callitriche hermaphroditica
• Potamogeton crispus
• Potamogeton natans
• Potamogeton perfoliatus
• Nuphar lutea
• Lemna minor
• Lemna trisulca
• Enteromorpha sp.
• Scirpus lacustris
• Myriophyllum spicatum

31
ZANNICHELLIA PALUSTRIS

• Family Zannichelliaceae
• Scientific name Zannichellia palustris L.
• English nameHorned Pondweed
• Horned pondweed is a delicate underwater
  branching perennial that can grow to a length of
  1 m. It has opposite, thread-like leaves that
  emerge in such a way as to give the plants a
  uniform shape. Unlike many look alike aquatic
  plants which have flowers that emerge from the
  water on spikes, horned pondweed has
  inconspicuous underwater flowers and fruits
  located at the leaf bases. Look for this plant in
  brackish or alkaline streams, ponds, ditches, and
  lakes.

32
SPARGANIUM SPP

• English nameBranched Bur-reed
• Botanic notes monocotyledonous and perennial
  plant, rhizomatous root.
• Land of bloom humid places and ditches.
• Description A very common plant of wet ditches,
  channels, fens, lake-sides, river-sides, ponds
  and similar wet habitats. Easily recognised, with
  its tall shoots reaching four feet or so, long,
  narrow keeled leaves, and a stem which carries a
  branched inflorescence of globular heads of male
  and female flowers. The female flowers develop
  into a bur-like structure which eventually breaks
  up into its separate fruits for dispersal.

33
CALLITRICHE ERMAPHRODITICA

• Autumnal Water-starwort
• Scientific name Callitriche hermaphroditica L.
• Diagnostic featuresSubmerged annual to 50cm.
• Leaves 8-18mm, widest near base, tapering to
  emarginate apex, usually pale to mid green.
• Fruits common, orbicular in side view,
  c.1.4-2.2(3.3)mm, with wing 0.1-0.5mm wide.
• Chromosome number 2n6.
• Habitat Native lakes and rivers.

34
POTAMOGETON CRISPUS

• Curly leaf pondweed grows entirely underwater
  except for the flower stalk which rises above the
  water. Curly leaf pondweed has distinctly
  wavy-edged, crispy olive-green to reddish-brown
  leaves. It usually grows early in spring and dies
  back in summer. The leaves of flat-stem pondweed
  are long and narrow with smooth edges and the
  sharp-edged stem is flat.

35
POTAMOGETON CRISPUS

• Leaf Alternate, all submersed, no leaf stalks.
  Oblong, stiff, translucent leaves (4-10 cm long,
  5-10 mm wide) have distinctly wavy edges with
  fine teeth and 3 main veins. Sheaths (stipules)
  up to 1 cm long are free of the leaf base and
  disintegrate with age
• Stem branched, up to 90 cm long, somewhat
  flattened.
• Flower Tiny, with 4 petal-like lobes, in spikes
  1-3 cm long on stalks up to 7 cm long.
• Fruit Seed-like achene, 4-6 mm long including
  2-3 mm beak, back ridged.

36
POTAMOGETON CRISPUS

• Root Fibrous, from slender rhizomes.
• Propagation Seeds and creeping rhizomes,
  over-winters as a hard, brown, bur-like bud with
  crowded, small holly-like leaves.
• Distribution nearly worldwide
• Habitat shallow to deep still or flowing water,
  tolerant of disturbance.
• Life history of Potamogeton crispus is unusual as
  it flowers and fruits in late spring and early
  summer, at which time it also produces turions.
  The plants decay shortly after those structures
  develop, leaving only fruits and turions, which
  survive the summer. No one has observed any seed
  germination, but the turions (referred to as
  dormant apices) germinate in late summer or fall,
  and the plants overwinter as small plants only a
  few cm centimetres in size, even under the ice in
  northern climates (R. L. Stuckey et al. 1978).
  Growth then continues as the water begins warming
  in the spring.

37
POTAMOGETON NATANS
This perennial pondweed have oval floating leaves
and long, narrow, underwater leaves. The
underwater leaves have a broad light green
central stripe, the floating leaves are often
oppositely arranged. The underwater leaves are so
narrow that they appear to be stiff leafless
stalks, and the floating leaves often have
slightly heart-shaped bases.
38
POTAMOGETON NATANS

• Submersed leaves They are alternate and stiff
  and can be until 50 cm long and up to 2 mm wide.
• Floating leaves They are alternate and have a
  colour variable from dark green to
  copper-coloured they can be from 6 to 11 cm long
  and they have a width of 6 cm. their base is
  heart-shaped and the stalk is longer than the
  leaf blade.
• Persistent sheaths (stipules) they can be from 6
  to 8 cm long and are free from the leaf base
• Stem It is generally unbranched and nearly
  cylindrical. It is 2 mm thick.

39
POTAMOGETON NATANS

• Flower It consists of compact spikes less than 5
  cm long on stalks with a length of 12 cm.
• Fruit It is from 3.5 to 5 mm long the back is
  rounded or faintly ridged with a beak of 0.5-1
  mm.
• Root It is fibrous and composed by rhizomes.
• Propagation It happens through seeds come by
  large winter buds. These plants sometimes produce
  tubers.

40
POTAMOGETON PERFOLIATUS

• Family potamogetonaceae Perfoliate Pondweed
  Potamogeton perfoliatus is a submerged aquatic
  plant that occurs in still and flowing
  freshwaters in temperate climates. It is known as
  clasped pondweed as the leaf bases perfoliate
  (are wrapped around the stem). This is one of the
  commonest pondweeds. All the leaves are under
  water there are no floating leaves as in some
  other common Potamogeton species. It is common in
  lakes, ditches and slow rivers and streams, and
  is tolerant of quite a wide range of nutrient
  status.

41
POTAMOGETON PERFOLIATUS

• Description P. perfoliatus is one of the common
  pondweeds, rather robust, with the leaf bases
  wrapped around the stem. All the leaves grow
  under water and there are no floating leaves.
  Leaves are flat, oval-shaped, 2-6 cm long, narrow
  (due to lack of light and calcium) but margins
  are slightly crisped . Plants have thicker,
  darker green foliage than do plants growing in
  deeper water (MDNR, 2005). Ailstock and Shafer
  (2004) state reedgrass typically survives in
  winter by persistence of sparsely branched pale
  rhizomes embedded in the sediments.
  Inflorescences are variable but mostly consisting
  of 5-12 flowers with each consisting of 4 carpels
  which in turn contain a single ovule. Seed
  formation ranges from 20-48 seeds per
  inflorescence". Redhead grass has an extensive
  root and rhizome system that securely anchors the
  plant (MDNR, 2005).

42
NUPHAR LUTEA

• It is a water plant with a big underwater
  rootstock. From the rootstock start the stalk of
  the floating leaves (about 3m long). The other
  leaves, instead, remain always under the water.
  The floating leaves have got an oval form, thy
  can be 30cm large and 40cm long.
• At the end of Spring ()
• The yellow flowers are smaller (5-7 cm diameter)
  than the white flowers that sometimes emerge a
  lot from the level of water.
• The fruit is a big capsule and looks like a
  little bottle. It blooms from May to September.
• This plant lives in pools 3-4m depth.

43
LEMNA MINOR

• Description floating plant not rooted. Annual
  plant, floating on the level of water, without
  stalks.
• Everyone is consisting of two elliptical leaves.
  sometimes there are two other leaves (smaller
  than the others).
• The flowers are without petals and unisexed the
  male one has got two stamen, the female one ha
  got a carpel. The fruit is achee.
• Ecology floating hydrophyte. It can form
  colonies (sometimes very crowd). It blooms from
  my and October. It lives in areas between 0 to
  1600m.

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LEMNA TRISULCA

• LEMNA TRISULCA
• Description leaves with triangular form, they
  dont float but they stay on the bottom. The
  leaves are flat, lanceolate, they have a form of
  star (in a four leaves group). Every leaf , 2-mm
  large and 5-15 mm long, has got a stalk that link
  it by a right angle to the other leaves. The
  colour is light green or olive green and
  semitransparent.
• Every plant have got a separate root which dont
  anchor to the ground.
• The flowers are very small e uncommon, only when
  the plant goes up the level of the water ( from
  April to June).
• Habitat hot springs, pools, marshes,
  eutrophicated lakes. It lives in water which has
  neutral pH, but it can live also with 6.5 or 7.5
  pH.
• The temperature cant be in high temperature (not
  over 22C), because it lose its colour.

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ENTEROMORPHA SP.

• ENTEROMORPHA SP.
• Like the other green algae, Enteromorpha has got
  an intense green. It has got fine blades that can
  be large as two inches Enteromorpha is composed
  of flattened green tubes. The various species of
  Enteromorpha differ in a varity of features such
  as size, branching patterns, and cell size and
  arrangment.

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SCIRPUS LACUSTRIS

• It is the biggest European cane in fact it can be
  more than 3 meters high. It has a great
  rootstock (..)
• The stems are erected, cylindrical, dark green.
• The leaves are short and linear. the
  inflorescence is a head at the top of the steam.
• It is common in Italy, in lakes and pools, in
  marshes, rivers, channals and ditches.

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MYRIOPHYLLUM SPICATUM

• Italian name millefoglie dacqua
• Description underwater, deep-rooted, floating
  specie. Perennial plant, it is from 5 to 20 dm
  high. It has got blooming stem, the leaves are
  gathered with 5-6 whorls.
• The flowers are in the axils of normal leaves or
  smaller leaves.
• Ecology it blooms from June to September. It is
  rare in all the Italian territory. It lives in
  areas between 0 to 800m.

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• Original description Linnaeus 1753
• dicot, perennial
• there are a number of water-milfoils, native and
  non-native, that are confusable this
  water-milfoil has decidedly feathery-looking
  leaves
• plants submersed rooted, attached to the
  substrate
• stems slender, smooth, 6 to 20 ft. long stems
  reddish-brown to whitish-pink branching several
  times near the water surface
• leaves are olive-green, less than 2 in. long,
  soft, deeply divided, feather-like each leaf
  with a central axis (midrib) and 14 to 24 or so
  very slender (filiform) segments on each side of
  the axis
• leaf whorls are arranged along the stems in
  whorls of 3 to 6 (usually 4) leaves whorl nodes
  are about 3/8 in. apart
• flowers on an emersed spike, held erect above the
  water, the spike to 8 inches long flowers
  reddish arranged in 4-flowered whorls along
  spike petals 4 petals 1/8 in. long sepals 4
  stamens 8 flowering in Canada from late July to
  early August
• fruit 4-lobed splitting into 4 nutlets
• roots fibrous often developing on plant
  fragments

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GROUP D

• Potamogenton pectinatus
• Cladophora glomerata

50
POTAMOGETON PECTINATUS

• Family Potamogetonaceae
• Description floating and rooted species. It is a
  perennial plant, 5-15dm high
• Stems terete, ca. 1 mm thick, or the main stem
  stouter on deep water forms sparingly branched at
  the base, becoming freely dichotomously branched
  above, 3-10 dm long.
• Leaves all submersed, filiform to narrowly
  linear, 3-12 cm long, usually 0,2-1 mm wide, 1-
  to 3-nerved, acute, sometimes wider with obtuse
  tips early in the growing season or on plants
  from running water
• stipules adnate to the base of the leaf blade for
  1-3 cm, forming a sheath about as wide as the
  stem, occasionally wider on the main stem,
  especially in deep water forms.

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• Spikes elongate, 1-5 cm long, with 2-5(7)
  unevenly spaced floral whorls h
• peduncles lax, filiform, to 15 cm long.
• Fruits yellowish to tawny, drying brown,
  obliquely obovoid, 2,7-4 mm long, rounded on the
  back, apiculate due to the style beak which is
  usually 0,3-0,5 mm long.
• Habitat Shallow to rather deep, fresh to
  subsaline water of lakes, ponds, marshes,
  ditches, rivers and streams common and often
  abundant.
• Ecology It is commune in all the Italian
  territory. It lives in areas between 0 to 2000m.

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CLADOPHORA

• Cladophora glomerata (Blanket weed). The species
  of filamentous or string algae that causes the
  most concern in fresh water systems everywhere is
  Cladophora glomerata. This is called blanket weed
  (blanketweed or string algae). There are over 150
  different species of cladophora so lots of
  different blanket weeds.
• Blanket weed (blanketweed) can grow at
  unbelievable rates when the conditions in the
  pond are matching the requirements of the algae
  such as pond water with very high light levels
  and with high levels of nutrients. In cases like
  this blanket weed can grow at more than 2 metres
  per day (6 feet per day!!!!)